Mar phobal seolta

“…Sheol mise sibhse uaim chun fómhar a bhaint nár shaothraigh sibh féin. Shaothraigh daoine eile é, agus chuaigh sibhse isteach ina saothar” (Eoin 4:38)

Eoin 4:31-38 (Year B: Lá le Pádraig, 17 Márta 2018)

Sán áit bheannaithe seo ina bhfuilimid bailithe le chéile chun an Chomaoin Naofa a chéiliúradh ar an lá speisialta seo, Lá le Pádraig, cuimhnímid ar Naomh Dúileach. Níl mórán eolas againn faoin bhfear naofa sin seachas the scéalta a tháinig anuas ó na sinsir. Is léir gur áit speisialta, naofa agus cáiliúil í seo inar chaith na mílte daoine laethanta fada ag guí, ag obair agus ag fónamh ar riachtanais an phobail thart timpeal.

Saint Doulagh’s church is described, in Irish, as Clochar Dúiligh.  Normally, the word ‘Clochar’ refers to a convent.  I wonder if the use of stone in this pre-norman church including the stone baptistery gave rise to the expression Clochar Dúiligh?. Be that as it may be, we are standing on holy ground. Yet, we stand in a fast-changing, multi-ethnic and post-modern Ireland where we are challenged to adapt our thinking but not our core faith – the faith of Paul the missionary, Patrick our national patron saint, Sampson and Doulagh our local saints and many others. That faith shared and expressed in the Creed which we will say together in a few moments is our rock – our Cloch or clochar.  It is, above all, our real, living and life-giving personal relationship with the Lord Jesus that must be the Cloch of our lives.

Just imagine all the countless generations who have worshipped, cried, laboured, rejoiced, died and who were born close to here? Just imagine the many languages that have been spoken here over the centuries from An Sean-Ghaeilge to some Viking dialect to Norman French to Anglo-Norman early English to modern day Northside Dublin not to mention the many ethnic and linguistic groups that have visited or even stayed here to join us for worship.

Fingal – the name of this part of Dublin – comes from ‘Fionn Gall’ or the tribes or territory of foreigners. Agus is maith rud gurb é sin ainm an cheantair seo. And it is very good that this is the name of this part of Dublin.

Sa lá atá inniu ann, táimid – mar a déarfeá ag na ‘croisbhóithre’ idir ceantar sách compordach and rachmasach ó thuadh ón áit seo agus ceann de na ceantracha is boichte sa tír seo ní I bhad ó dheas anseo. Níos faide siar ón séipéal seo tá aerphort rí-ghnóthach Bhleá Cliath trína imíonn na miliúin daoine gach bliain ar thurasóireacht nó fáthanna eile. San áit bheag, ciúin ina bhfuilimid an mhaidin seo táimid cóngarach do na naoimh a d’imigh romhainn. Níl Dúileach é féin ró I bhad mar

Óir, mar a mbíonn beirt nó triúr tagtha i gceann a chéile i m’ainmse, bím féin ansin ina measc.” Matha 18:20

San áit ina bhfuil beirt nó triúr tagtha le chéile ní I bhad uainn ríocht na bhflaiteas. Táimid ag gcéiliúradh I gcuideachta na n-aineal, na naomh eile agus an pobal a d’imigh romhain. 

“bíodh a fhios agaibh go bhfuil ríocht Dé in bhur lár.” Lúcas 19:21

Ag an am céanna táimid cóngarach do na mílte daoine atá ina gcónaí thart anseo. Is iad seo daoine le mianta, le buarthaí, le haislingí, le páistí, le seantuistí, le ceisteanna, le riachtanais spioradálta nó ábhartha. 

(thousands of people live in this district. These are people with worries, dreams, children, grandparents, questions along with spiritual and material needs).

Ó thosaidh an tseirbhís seo ceathrú uair a chloig ó shin is dócha gur imigh na céadta gluaisteáin thart ar an mbóthar amuigh. Tá daoine go imeacht dtí lár na cathrach chun an pharáid a fheiceáil. Tá daoine ag dul ar thuras fada, b’fhéidir, chun cuairt a thabhairt ar lucht muirneach éigin. Tá daoine eile, b’fhéidir, ag filleadh abhaile ó a bheith ag obair san óiche mar bhanatraí nó baill den fhoireann éigeandála.

Tá dhá mhíle bliain ar ár gcreideamh ach níl dhá mhíle bliain ar ár smaointeoireacht.

Our faith is two thousand years old but our thinking is not and must not be.

Is é sin le rá go roimmimid an creideamh céanna leis na deisceabail, le Naomh Aindriú, leis na mairtírigh fadó agus inniu, le Naomh Pádraig and Naomh Dúileach and Naomh Mearnóg  agus Naomh Sampson cibé daoine iad sin agus leis na naoimh sa lá atá inniu ann og obair, ag strachailt, ag fulaingt nó faoi ríméid ag déanamh toil Dé ó lá go lá díreach mar sa staid ina bhfuil siad agus sa timpealacht ina bhfuil said.

Óir is fíor don seanfhocal sa mhéid seo: ‘Cuireann duine, baineann duine eile.’ Deir Íosa linn arís inniu sa soiscéal dár chualamar:  ‘Sheol mise sibhse uaim chun fómhar a bhaint nár shaothraigh sibh féin. Shaothraigh daoine eile é, agus chuaigh sibhse isteach ina saothar.”

In English that translates as:

For here the saying holds true, “One sows and another reaps.” I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.’ (John 4:37-38)

And we stand here this morning as people who have reaped much benefit from the self-sacrificing faith and love of those who reaped here and who directly reaped in our own lives by their teaching and example. We have the joy of entering into the fruits of the labour others in this hallowed place between affluence and acute poverty, between the different historical Viking, Celtic and Norman linguistic and spiritual roots and in which early Celtic monasticism mixed with the arrival of a Norman and a very Roman ordered style of Christianity and then the tragic political and religious events in which Western Christianity and many kingdoms were sundered apart in Europe and on this island and in this very area. We also stand on the ‘Northern Fringe’ of Clongriffan and surrounding areas where thousands of new families and individuals will come to live in the coming years. These are exciting and challenging times for us who have been entrusted with the torch of faith and hope. Will we pass that torch to others? Will future generations follow in our footsteps when we are long gone?  Might St Douglaghs described as the ‘Jewel in Fingals’ Crown’ – Seoid Choróin Fhine Gall become a special place of healing, prayer and outreach where Christians of all traditions might offer hospitality and listening?  Does this sacred place have potentials that we cannot even imagine this morning?

Is mór an onóir dúinn seasamh anseo mar oilithreacha agus mar dheisceabail – i gcónaí ag cosa an Tiarna ag éisteacht agus ag ithe Briathar agus Arán na beatha I dteanta a chéile.

It is a great honour to stand here as pilgrims and disciples – always at the feet of the Lord listening to his word and taking to ourselves his Word and his Bread as we are gathered here.

Is pobal seolta sinn cinnte.

We are, surely, a people sent.